


The Brightest Flame

by Clea2011



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Evil Uther Pendragon (Merlin), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22088929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/pseuds/Clea2011
Summary: Arthur grows up in a darker version of Camelot where sorcerers stand no chance of surviving at all.Then one day the sorcerer awaiting the pyre is Merlin.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 377
Collections: Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 10





	The Brightest Flame

**Author's Note:**

> For hc bingo square 'dystopia'. A short piece to fill a square. Thanks to Wasp for the read-through.

There was no place for magic in Camelot.

Arthur’s father had ruled for twenty-five years, and each one of those years had brought in anti-magic laws harsher than the ones before. The sad thing was that everyone accepted it. Everyone except Arthur.

Arthur had accepted it once. He’d had no choice, growing up where he did. He was the heir to the throne, Uther's perfect son, the golden boy. As a child he’d been forced to stand at his father’s side and watch the executions. 

Arthur had been six years old the first time he’d watched a man burned to death for sorcery. Arthur had cried and cried until Uther had told his nurse to take him away. There was a beating, then Uther had raged at him, and then there had been more punishment. 

Arthur did not cry at executions after that. He learned to remain expressionless and to focus his gaze on a point just beyond the victim and concentrate on that point no matter what. In time he learned to shut out the sounds as well. 

As a young man he had been expected to do more than just stand there. Uther’s knights were the ones who escorted the victims to the stake. They were the ones who chained them there. They were the ones who lit the pyre. Arthur was a knight.

“You should be the one to light the fire,” Uther told him one evening. “It would be good for the people to see you do this. It shows a strong succession.”

Arthur thought it would show that he was as heartless as his father. He bowed his head. 

“It is a menial task, Father. Perhaps another would be better?”

He had little hope that the king would agree. 

Arthur was a brave knight, a skilled fighter. He was one of the best hunters in the kingdom, renowned throughout the lands for his prowess with the sword and the crossbow. These were skills, things to be proud of, whilst lighting a fire under a condemned and helpless man or woman was not. 

“It is the law, Arthur,” Uther told him. “Your role is to uphold the law. You will light _every_ pyre from this day forth.”

Arthur knew that he should have just agreed. His father could sniff out reluctance and what he saw as cowardice with ease. His sister Morgana had argued for the rights of the people. Arthur hadn’t seen her in months.

“Of course, Father,” was all Arthur said.

One day he would be king. And he could change everything. That wouldn’t happen if Uther decided he was a traitor and locked him up, or worse. Arthur had to keep his position until that time and hope it would not be much longer.

He hated himself for what he was doing and threw up after every single execution. But not within sight of Uther.

\---

The young man in the dungeons was called Merlin. 

Sir Valiant and his men had found him performing sorcery on the outskirts of the kingdom. Merlin would die at first light, as so many others had before him.

Arthur rarely visited the dungeons. He didn’t like to see the people down there, to get to know them in any way at all. But he’d seen Merlin being brought into the castle. Their eyes had met and just for a moment Arthur had thought he knew Merlin from somewhere. Perhaps it was another life because there was no way any sorcerer would ever have set foot in Camelot.

Yet there was something about Merlin. Merlin didn’t fight his captors or rail against his fate when Uther sentenced him. He just watched Arthur, his gaze never straying far from the crown prince. And when he was led down to the dungeons for his final night on earth Merlin looked back over his shoulder.

“Come to me,” Arthur heard, though he was sure nobody had spoken. “Come to me.”

And so Arthur did.

\---

Burnings were rarer than they had been when Arthur was a child. Sorcerers had learned to keep away from Camelot. Merlin was a foolish rarity. Perhaps Valiant had even crossed the border to reach him.

The dungeons were empty save for the new prisoner. Arthur nodded to the guards as he passed. They knew him and barely looked up from the dice they were gaming with. Arthur was the king’s son, he was to be trusted in all things.

Merlin was sitting in his cell, the food that he had been given was untouched. When he saw Arthur, he got to his feet and walked over to the door of the cell.

“Arthur,” he breathed. “I waited so long for you.”

It was an odd thing to say because Merlin had only been in the cell for a few hours. 

“You spoke to me,” Arthur said quietly. “After the trial, I heard your voice in my head. How did you do that?”

Merlin smiled at him. “Sorcery. I am a sorcerer, after all. It’s what your father would burn me for.”

“It’s what _I_ will have to burn you for,” Arthur corrected sorrowfully. “It’s me that carries out the executions. Of every prisoner.”

“Oh I’m not the one who’s a prisoner,” Merlin told him. His eyes glowed gold for a moment, then the door unlocked and swung open. “I came here to rescue _you_.”

Arthur had never actually seen sorcery performed. It was amazing to watch. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to do anything other than marvel at it and ask to learn more. But the law was the law. Even if Arthur thought it was wrong.

“I can’t let you leave.”

Merlin was still smiling at him. It was a kind smile in a handsome face. Arthur knew that in the morning he would not be able to light the pyre, not for this man. There was something about him that had already touched Arthur’s soul, as if they had always been meant to be together. 

“You can’t stop me. But I won’t leave without you, Arthur. My people have legends that speak of you and they speak of me. Together. You will be a great king, Arthur. But not if you remain here. Come.”

“The guards…”

“They won’t see us.” Merlin held out his hand. “Your destiny, Arthur.”

Arthur hesitated. He thought of the burnings, the fear in people’s faces. He thought of the hatred and anger on his father’s face. He thought of Morgana and her mysterious fate. 

“Your sister is with us,” Merlin added, as if he could read Arthur’s mind. Perhaps he could.

Arthur took Merlin’s hand. And smiled.

\---


End file.
